WE’RE CREATING
SUSTAINABLE
VALUES FOR
THE FUTURE AND
A HEALTHIER WORK
ENVIRONMENT
Dustcontrol is contributing to a clean and healthy work environment Dustcontrol was founded in 1972, with the idea of manufacturing extraction systems to capture dust and other pollutants at their source. We work closely with our customers, which means that we’re always familiar with the latest requirements, regulations, and working conditions in different types of workplaces. We supply products that meet these everchanging needs. The job of an extraction system is to capture, transport, and separate pollutants. Our systems ensure that dangerous particles do not cause harm through the air we breathe or impair the quality of the production process. The result is healthy and efficient workplaces. We’re currently developing advanced extraction systems and dust extractors for all types of industries and construction sites. Our products are certified and approved for use with hazardous dust and they purify the air to a purity level of 99.995 per cent. Dustcontrol’s head office and production facilities are located in Sweden, with subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, the UK, the US, and Finland.
“Even today our employees are driving low-emission vehicles and our head office is powered by electricity from renewable sources.” Anna-Lena Berg CEO, Dustcontrol AB
Inspired by the UN’s 17 global goals I feel like I have a new source of inspiration! For many years, Dustcontrol has been certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. We’ve also had several internal environmental targets. But, to be perfectly honest, our environmental efforts have mostly just been procedural. We lacked heart and commitment. For me, “sustainability” has been something of a muddled word. But now I’ve got a new source of inspiration! I learnt more about the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable global development, known more commonly as the “SDGs”, at a conference. That’s when everything suddenly became so clear to me. The whole world needs to work together to eliminate extreme poverty, reduce global inequalities and injustices, promote peace and justice, and tackle the climate crisis. I also realised how much of this lies in our hands as a company. Even today our employees are driving lowemission vehicles and our head office is powered by electricity from renewable sources. Our products are of good quality and last for many years. And they’re easy to repair if needed. I don’t believe in just throwing something out once it’s worn out – I want to deliver quality. Our company is diverse. We have people from many different countries, with more than 20 different nationalities represented at the company. Furthermore, we’re investing a lot in creating a safe, secure, and healthy work environment, which results in less absence due to illness, more efficient production, and less downtime.
We’ve also hired a new full-time employee to work solely on environmental and sustainability issues. For us, this is a major and significant investment. I’m positive about Dustcontrol’s future, in terms of both our finances and our sustainability. Our sales have increased as a result of a well-thought-out export strategy, which has led to us outgrowing our premises. The next step is to expand our production facilities – hopefully with solar panels on the roof. As I said, Dustcontrol has always had sustainability in mind. But in writing this, we’re summarising what we’ve done and giving ourselves a clear starting point ahead of our continued sustainability efforts. It’s all incredibly exciting and I’m proud to be the CEO of Dustcontrol. And that’s precisely why our slogan is “Technology for healthy business.”
Anna-Lena Berg CEO, Dustcontrol AB
The graphical symbols in this report are taken from the UN SDGs. The SDGs are the most ambitious agenda for sustainable development that the world’s nations have ever adopted. They are designed to achieve four amazing things by 2030: The eradication of extreme poverty. The reduction of inequality and injustice in the world. The promotion of peace and justice. And tackling the climate crisis.
Sandvik Coromant in Sandviken
“Dustcontrol has both experience and well-proven solutions that work” Roger Tornéus, Sandvik Coromant
CUSTOMER INTERVIEW WITH
Roger Tornéus at Sandvik Coromant Sandvik Coromant in Gimo handle the hazardous substance cobalt. To make the indoor air safe, they turned to Dustcontrol. The goal was to get below 0.005 milligrams of cobalt per cubic metre of air. “We’ve worked with Dustcontrol since 2015. They’ve installed things like fixed extraction systems and helped us with our technical solutions and procedures,”explains Roger Tornéus, senior technical specialist in house media and process-related media at Sandvik Coromant. The company’s primary focus is tools and tool systems for metal processing that involves cutting. Cobalt is used in the production of steel. The cobalt governs the toughness and resistance of the steel against plastic deformation. The disadvantage is that cobalt is classified as harmful to health. As a technical specialist, a lot of Roger’s work involves general ventilation, extraction, and ventilation. In 2015, a global cobalt group, which included Roger, was established within Sandvik Coromant. The goal of the group was to meet the
management’s demands for reduced cobalt dust emissions. “I started our partnership with Dustcontrol in 2015 through my development of guidelines for the design of high-performance, energy-efficient extraction facilities. Our goal was to come down to 0.005 milligrams of cobalt per cubic metre of air and to keep at this level at our production facilities in the longer term. We’re well on the way to achieving this, and we’re probably among the first in the world to do so.” Together with Dustcontrol, Roger also worked on cobalt-handling directives for the staff. “The staff have guidelines to follow for the handling of cobalt. It’s important these are followed,” Roger points out. These guidelines include always wearing gloves when working,
not taking snus while on the workshop floor, and washing hands before eating. Dustcontrol has extensive experience in the development of systems for large facilities, something which Roger would like to highlight as a key benefit of their partnership. “There aren’t many companies in the extraction industry that can supply really large facilities. But Dustcontrol has both the experience and wellproven solutions. Just like in smaller facilities, it’s incredibly important that extraction volumes and air speeds are precise. Yet Dustcontrol doesn’t need the wealth of figures and statistics that we’d need to give to another supplier. They can quickly develop a basic solution and from this we can continue to discuss how to tackle things.” Roger also works with Dustcontrol’s branches in the US. “When we went through one of our facilities in the US together with the site staff and Dustcontrol, we found that it didn’t meet current requirements. So we looked at how we could upgrade the equipment so as not to spread the cobalt dust, and we also looked at the equipment from an energy perspective. The solution is a mix of Dustcontrol’s and our own ideas, which we hope will ultimately turn into something very good.” There are now plans for Sandvik Coromant to use Dustcontrol’s solutions at more of its production facilities around the world. “Working with Dustcontrol is always effortless. We’ve developed many good solutions over the years. Dustcontrol is easy to deal with and always very accommodating when it comes to our specific wishes and requirements.”
Gabriel Chivi Quality and environmental co-ordinator at Dustcontrol 1. Hi Gabriel! You’re Dustcontrol’s new quality and environmental co-ordinator. Tell us about your role. “I co-ordinate our processes within quality, the environment, and sustainability. It’s important that everything is done correctly so that we meet both internal and external requirements. It’s also about finding new solutions and new ways of working.” 2. What are you bringing to Dustcontrol? “Above all, I’m bringing a new way of thinking in terms of sustainability, quality, and the environment.” 3. Tell us about Dustcontrol’s sustainability efforts. “This is the first time we’ve summarised our sustainability efforts in writing. Gathering all the data has been a major challenge. I’ve discussed the production of statistics, figures, and facts with my colleagues. I’ve also requested data that hasn’t been used before, including emissions data from our shipping agents.” 4. What’s the best thing about working at Dustcontrol? “My colleagues! They’re all great fun to work with. There’s room to grow and a great atmosphere. The nice thing about my role is that I get to work with all departments, even the management team. I’m like a link between the management, processes, and other departments in terms of quality, the environment, and sustainability.” 5. What are your hobbies? “I’m fascinated by technology and I like to work out.” 6. Any hidden talents? “Ha ha! I’m actually good at beatboxing! So, I can make sounds that sound like music using my mouth. But that’s not something I do to entertain my colleagues...”
Sustainability at Dustcontrol Dustcontrol operates within the environmental sector. Our products are made to minimise the release of dust, fluids, and other hazardous particles into the environment. Our slogan, “Technology for Healthy Business”, is an approach that characterises our entire operation. For Dustcontrol, this means sustainability, financial stability, efficient and effective solutions, physical wellbeing, and a safe work environment. This is also stated in our environmental policy: Dustcontrol AB will comply with current environmental legislation, rules, requirements, and standards, and works to ensure continuous improvement in its environmental efforts. We want Dustcontrol to be perceived as active and credible in its environmental efforts both internally and externally:
INTERNALLY for continued investment in adapting the business in relation to the environment and health
EXTERNALLY for a reduced environmental footprint in the production of our services and products
Dustcontrol’s environmental considerations involve the following basic commitments and specific initiatives:
1
4
7
As far as possible, avoiding single-use items and choosing environmentally approved office supplies and other consumables.
Depositing recyclable items such as paper, cardboard, batteries, electrical waste, and single-use glass at recycling and environmental stations.
Establishing and maintaining a good environmental skillset among our employees.
2
Keeping energy consumption as low as possible by, for example, switching off lights and not leaving computers in sleep mode when the working day is over.
3
Setting reasonable and relevant environmental requirements for our suppliers.
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Considering the recycling of materials and environmentally safe waste management.
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Only printing those documents that are necessary, and using double-sided printing where possible.
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Considering environmental impact by developing energy-efficient and recyclable products.
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Buying electricity from suppliers that offer renewable energy sources.
Dustcontrol is certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and 14001 with an integrated quality and environmental management system. This includes process management, identifying our environmental footprint, adhering to regulations, and training our employees in the topic.
We carefully adhere to the EU’s Reach and RoHS directives in order to minimise our use of chemicals. With the help of Lean production, we continuously evaluate our processes and look to improve our overall efficiency.
Environmentally friendly transport As mentioned in our environmental policy, we strive to ensure that our transport is environmentally friendly. When choosing company cars, we look for low-emission options as we want to lower the emissions from the journeys made by our employees, such as sales and service staff. In Sweden, when it’s time for older vehicles to be replaced, we look for those powered by alternative fuels. In 2018, we purchased only electric-hybrid cars. Yet the challenge of reducing carbon emissions extends beyond our own vehicles. We monitor shipments to and from our factory with the help of our distribution partners. Using our agents’ shipping data, we’re able to analyse CO2 emissions in the principal parts of the supply chain. As our business has grown over the years, we have always sought to optimise and streamline our loads and shipments. If we compare data from one of our agents regarding the quantity of CO2 emissions (in kilos) per tonne of
shipped goods for the first six months of 2017 and 2018, we can see that we have improved average efficiency by 15 per cent. When choosing materials and components, we look at local suppliers in order to reduce shipping costs and, more importantly, our environmental footprint.
Products that can be repaired and recycled Reparability, recyclability, and energy efficiency are all important considerations for our products. When designing new machines, we consider the recyclability of their components. In addition, many of our products feature energy-saving motors with auto-start functionality to reduce energy consumption. Our products are for the most part repairable and are designed to have long life cycles. Accessories and spare parts are available for many years after the products are no longer manufactured.
Furthermore, our products are efficient in terms of their energy consumption. With our Green System, our products offer energy savings of 40 to 90 per cent, helping our customers reduce their electricity costs and improve their environmental efforts. General recycling is equally as important as the recyclability of our products. Because our products are made of metal and plastic and packed in cardboard, we have to ensure the proper processing of surplus material in order to minimise waste. For this reason, we strive to recycle components such as aluminium, steel, wood, and cardboard. We regularly evaluate how we can improve our recycling.
With our Green System, our products offer energy savings of 40 to 90 per cent, helping our customers reduce their electricity costs and improve their environmental efforts.
Efficient-energy consumption Sweden’s cold climate and dark autumn and winter days pose a major challenge in terms of our energy efficiency. Among other things, our offices and production areas require adequate lighting and heating. We have a simple strategy – to power our headquarters using electricity solely from renewable sources: wind, solar, and hydropower. In addition, over the years we’ve managed to increase the efficiency of the ratio between electricity consumption and income by 11 per cent between 2014 and 2017. An important measure implemented in 2018 was the replacement of lighting in the production area with LED lights. When looking at our total energy consumption – including electricity from renewable sources provides our head electricity and heat – we improved office in Sweden. our overall efficiency by 10 per
cent. We have to bear in mind that heating the facility varies based on the climate as seasonal temperatures differ from year to year. We regularly evaluate how we can further improve efficiency.
Electricity consumption (kWh/SEK thousand income) 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1,0 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 0,0
Energy consumption
kWh/consumption SEK kWh/förbrukning TSEK thousand
2014
2015
2016
2017
Transport efficiency
(kWh/SEK thousand income)
(kg CO2/tonne of freight) kWh/consumption SEK kWh/förbrukning TSEK thousand
4,0 3,5
2017
2018
% change % Förändring
30
30 %
25
25 %
20
20 %
15
15 %
10
10 %
5
5%
3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 0,0
2014
2015
2016
2017
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
0%
Social responsibility Sustainability goes beyond just environmental challenges. Social responsibility is equally important and for us this translates into a diverse workforce, safety, and health – this is our contribution to society.
Inclusive diversity At Dustcontrol, we believe in a diverse workforce in terms of gender, age, background, and experience. We are all of equal importance, regardless of our individual circumstances and values. In our head office alone, we have people representing more than 20 different nationalities and backgrounds, all working happily together. The gender ratio is 75 per cent men to 25 per cent women. Our CEO and Chair of the Board are both women.
“Our company is diverse. We have people from many different countries, with more than 20 different nationalities represented at the company.� Anna-Lena Berg CEO, Dustcontrol AB
We see potential in and value the experience of all our employees, whatever their age, and strive to create an inclusive culture that brings us all together. We have a zero-tolerance policy in terms of discrimination and harassment. Offensive behaviour such as bullying and social exclusion is unacceptable and managed in accordance with our policy. Our view is that when we combine all the knowledge we have as individuals, we can improve our business and our growth. This is the power of diversity and inclusion.
A healthy work environment The removal of dust from the workplace isn’t just a work environment and health issue, it’s also a business issue. The cleaner the work environment, the better the end result. We call this “Healthy Business”. Dustcontrol manufactures mobile dust extractors for industrial and construction use, fixed extraction systems, peripheral equipment, and accessories. We help companies all over the world to achieve a cleaner work environment. A healthy work environment results in less absence due to illness, more efficient production, less downtime, and better production quality. Our employees are the heart of our business, which is why maintaining a good work environment is vital for our success. We conduct annual staff appraisals in order to better understand our employees and identify which areas they would like to improve on. In addition, we conduct staff surveys every other year. In 2018, we offered all our employees the opportunity to take part in training on CPR and how to extinguish fires. Whenever requested or as necessary, we evaluate the potential for additional training. Incident reporting systems We take the safety of our employees seriously, especially in terms of production. Incidents and accidents are continuously monitored to further improve the work environment. Supervisors follow up on incidents with their teams every day. We saw an increase in the number of incidents reported between 2017 and 2018. The difference is due primarily to the fact that in 2018 we implemented
a new system for reporting incidents and accidents. Through daily follow-ups, all incidents that occur in production are reported by the staff. We see this increase in reports as a great opportunity for us to learn more and improve our processes in order to minimise and eliminate future incidents.
“Our employees are the heart of our business, which is why maintaining a good work environment is vital for our success.” General health is also important to us. We encourage all employees to pursue an active lifestyle and so offer them the opportunity to keep fit. Our employees in Norsborg, Sweden can take part in weekly workout sessions held on site. They also have a gym at their disposal for use during breaks, as well as weekly football training and much more. We also organise health-related competitions, such as step-counts, and encourage our employees to take part individually and as a team.
Dustcontrol’s social commitment In addition to taking care of our employees, we see great importance in taking social responsibility. Some of the things we do include:
●● Supporting Nattvandrarna, a local independent organisation whose purpose is to maintain a safe environment for young people. Adult volunteers patrol the streets at night and at festivals and other events to provide support and help when needed. ●● Inviting university students to conduct projects and theses. ●● Collaborating with state-owned companies and government agencies such as Samhall and the Swedish Public Employment Service to hire people who have a hard time finding a job and those with disabilities.
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●● In 2018 we launched a campaign in collaboration with the Mustaschkampen and the Swedish Association for Prostate Cancer, which work to raise awareness about prostate cancer and promote men’s health. Customers who bought our machines were invited to add a moustache decal and donate money for doing so. In connection with the campaign, we also published our own dance video on social media, designed our own T-shirt, and let our salespeople and other staff decorate their cars with our car decals. This all helped to spread awareness, motivate staff, and raise money. ●● Take a look at our video! https://youtu.be/WB23qRZkrh0